Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Salsa Can Be Fresh and Fast.

There I was, cooking up sirloin steaks and sweet potato rounds, thinking about a garnish to serve with the steak. Sautéed mushrooms and onions were becoming a bore, and I didn't want to use anything from a jar or can. I dove into, well not literally, the vegetable bin, pulling out cherry tomatoes, Anaheim chiles and a small onion. Inside my herb and spice cabinet, the dried cilantro leaves just happened to fall out as I opened the door. That's right, I was going to be making a salsa; whereas most folks use jalapeno peppers, I was using the Anaheim which is a mile chile pepper.

Roy and I like mild to medium heat for one good reason, we want to be able to taste the food. What is the sense of eating chiles so hot, the mouth, even the face goes totally numb; you're sweating, tears streaming from the eyes, snot dripping from the nose, your insides are on fire and you are doubled up wondering if you're going to die? Doesn't that all sound appetizing...Not!!! Sorry, but this pain does not out weigh the pleasure of tasting the food.

This salsa was also going to be cooked, not simply diced into small pieces; the juices of the tomatoes would be reduced by more than half, intensifying all the flavors of the ingredients. Must of been a true success, as Roy couldn't stop eating it whether it was hot or had gone cold!